1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus and an image database system and, in particular, to an image communication apparatus and a image database system using the same which causes an ordinary facsimile apparatus to access a remote database and to retrieve and transmit a desired image data from the database.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a system of this type, a special communication protocol has been required for a facsimile apparatus which accesses database, or a telephone set attached to a facsimile terminal must be used to access it. In the former case, the facsimile terminal side must be equipped with a non-standard communication function for specifying desired image data to the database apparatus, or a communication protocol called MHS (message handling system) is required. Therefore, neither system is in common use, because types of facsimile apparatus are limited. In the latter case, it is necessary to give an instruction to a remote database apparatus by using a push tone of a telephone set and there exists a disadvantage in that an operation cannot be confirmed.
Under such a communication protocol, the result of an execution on the database side is posted and then printed and displayed at the terminal side. As a result, although the direct communication fee to the database side can be calculated from the facsimile terminal side which accesses the database, the terminal side belonging to the client cannot learn about the communication fee between another terminal and the database side on a request from the client terminal side. Further, selection of whether or not an execution result report is to be transmitted to the client facsimile has been made by the database side.
A system of this type is so arranged that a history of communication can be accumulated and stored. However, the history are limited to the day and time at which communication takes place, the communication period, the number of communication papers, destination information, and communication error information.
Since a system of this type is so arranged that a database is accessed by a handwritten sheet image, anybody out of users (contractors) to a database can access to a database if he handwrites a proper sheet and transmits it to the database side. In order to prevent this, the facsimile number of a facsimile terminal which transmits sheets must be discriminated in the communication protocol. That is, even if an attempt is made to discriminate the facsimile number of a facsimile terminal which transmits sheets, inconveniences will arise because some facsimiles will not declare their facsimile number. In general, a facsimile number is known to others, so it is not a secret. There is a limitation on the database side to manage all facsimile numbers of the users.